A new "Zero Clearance Overlay"

[steven c newman]

As the old one had snapped in 2....right between where I clamp it to the saw and the saw's blade....besides, the area for the blade was worn out, and getting a bit too wide...tossed that into the fire pit barrel....

A piece of decent 1/4" plywood was cut to size..
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Wanted it to reach all the way, front to back...didn't need any overhang at the back...lowered the blade all the way down..
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and set the plywood in place...needed enough support to the left of the saw blade.. and plenty of space to use on the right side....wasn't exactly sure where the blade was...just a guess...used the rip fence to clamp things down....don't want it to move...
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Then start the saw...and slowly raise the blade until it won't go any higher....then set the saw down..( and take the picture)
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Goal here was zero gaps....


If you could see the throat plate on this saw......I've seen jack planes with tighter mouths...and, the steel plate that is the throat plate sits a hair lower the the saw's top. Fine for any normal rips, or cross cuts...NOT for resaws. So, IF I needed to thin parts for a Frame & Panel project....or do resaw kerfs ( followed up with a D8 Rip saw)
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I want a nice flat area around the blade, to where the part will not drop down inside the saw...I also checked that the saw was at 90 degrees to the top of the saw.

Makes for a nice, steady cut..
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And, if there is a good push stick handy..
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To keep any fingers away...

Last one lasted a couple years...hopefully this one will too? May make a second one, for doing the 10 degree bevels I used on Raised Panels..?

Might work on just about any "Job Site" style saws?

[steven c newman]

If anyone noticed...the metal plate Emerson used for this saw? Way too wide..not room for much else....when a part does go onto that plate,,,there is also a slight drop between the rest of the table's top and that plate...then a "bump" when you go to exit off of the plate...

The plywood provides a nice, flat, smooooth ride...no bumps, no dips...and no dropping down into the saw....nothing real fancy,,,works for the saw I have.

Might be of use for other saws?

[Stew Denton]

Steven,

Until you pointed it out, I had not noticed the wide gap the manufacturer had for the saw. Man, way too wide. It looks like it was someone's after market fix for some kind of a problem. It actually looks like it was made for dado blades.

Your Zero Clearance set up looks pretty effective, and better than the gap on my 1950s Delta-Rockwell, although I don't seem to have problems with the original gap of my saw.

Think your fix looks like it will work well.

Stew